Personnel :
Enrico Rosa , guitar,Ferdinando Argenti ,piano.
On 2 tracks , "Mondiale" and "Boston" the melody is played by Eva Rosa , alto recorder
Recorded on October the 17th 2002 at:
------
Recorded at : Thin Ice Productions Recording Studios, North Andover(Boston), Massachusetts , USA
----
This production is dedicated to the old friendship and joy of playing together that unite the stories of two fine Italian musicians.
The first track: Sqwaqwaz- (a nickname they used to call each other) - is minor blues jam on a funky groove, much like the ones they used to jam on in 1977, playing together for the first time: music full of energy and with no second thoughts. The second track, Copenhagen, calls us back to the time in which they met again in Denmark, in 1981; by then they had become more deeply involved in jazz and both liked to create special atmospheres, this one in particular inspired by the city of Copenhagen.
Track 3, Mondiale (world-wide), shows a way of exploring music with a kind of more "global" approach they both were searching for in the 80s; here Eva plays the first theme very lyrically on alto recorder, while Enrico creates nice contrasts with his harmonic tessitura; then Ferdinando takes over with a lovely solo interlude, and after Enrico's second theme, the two friends continue, taking it into beautiful jazz phrasing and a vigorous funky ending.
Three minutes blues, is a modal blues from the early 80's, jamming, as blues should be. The poly-rhythmical Dubbio (Doubt) was composed in 1981, when the two friends wanted to produce their music in Denmark, but it took more then twenty years before life finally gave them the opportunity in Boston, Massachusetts; which brings us to the final composition on this recording, appropriately, Boston; the tune was written on the way to the USA and it just speaks for itself.
---------
Reviews

Argenti & Rosa,
To the Old Friendship
(Do-Re, 2003)

Ferdinando Argenti and Enrico Rosa join together to create some wonderful jazz in To the Old Friendship. The give and take between the two musicians as they build off of one another's work makes the CD a joy to listen to.

For the most part there are only the two musicians on the CD: Argenti on piano and Rosa on guitar. They are joined on a few tracks by Eva Rosa, who plays alto recorder.

The first track, "Sqwaqwaz," shows off the play between the two men as they pass the lead back and forth. "Copenhagen" is a mellower composition, painting images of old building and narrow lanes. Eva Rosa joins them briefly on "Mondiale," and the sound of the piece changes drastically when she does.

"Three Minute Blues" lasts almost seven minutes, and at the end you want it to keep going. It blends jazz and the blues with the influence of the later on the first fluxing throughout the piece. There is a casual elegance in "Dubbio" as the music dances quietly. The CD ends with "Boston," and when Eva joins in on her recorder it adds to the theme.

Argenti and Rosa have created some amazing music on To the Old Friendship. The two musicians click and it shows in the byplay between them. It is good.

- Rambles
written by Paul de Bruijn
published 19 July 2003
--------
To The Old Friendship
Argenti & Rosa | DO-RE

Two forward-leaning jazz artists team up for this session of modern sounds. The 40-minute program features creative improvisation based on all original compositions. Pianist Ferdinando Argenti pushes the envelope with deep percussive thrusts in support of his soaring melodic airs. Guitarist Enrico Rosa comes from the Wes Montgomery school of melodic interpretation. Together, the two swing deftly and with passion.

Both artists originally hail from Italy. Now based in New England, Argenti graduated from the Boston's Berklee School of Music. Rosa and his wife, Eva, live in Copenhagen, where they teach and continue to fuel their love of mainstream jazz. While the reuniting of two old friends carries with it a certain amount of emotion, the duo's album goes much further. Ballads, blues, and fierce jazz syncopation color their meeting with powerful, straight-ahead hues. Theirs is the kind of session that you can sink your teeth into -- along with nodding head and dancing feet.

~ Jim Santella

---------
To the Old Friendship
Ferdinando Argenti and Enrico Rosa | Do-Re Music

Ferdinando Argenti follows up his 2000 self-released record Argenti with a brilliant duet recital with fellow Italian guitarist Enrico Rosa. Argenti has spent the last three years wisely, as is abundantly evident in his forward-looking composing and performance. A native of Pisa, Italy, Mr. Argenti received his formal musical training at the Berklee School of Music before going on to support the likes of Chet Baker, Kenny Wheeler and Lee Konitz. Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, and Herbie Hancock touch his piano style, which is tempered with Argenti's own percussive touch and time.

Enrico Rosa, an Italian expatriate to Copenhagen, has been an associate of Argenti's for many years. They share an interest in mainstream jazz and come together here to make some fine examples of that genre. Rosa divides his time between electric and acoustic guitars. The former is demonstrated in the delightful complexity of Rosa's "Sqwaqwaz" and the latter in the wistful whimsy of his "Boston." Rosa's wife, Eva, provides alto recorder on the latter tune and the Joe Pass-ballad-like "Mondiale." All of these elements make for an entertaining and easily listened to collection of tunes. This disc is worth seeking out.

For more information, see Ferdinando Argenti and Enrico Rosa.

~ C. Michael Bailey
---------

Review: TO THE OLD FRIENDSHIP is a highly engaging, innovative contemporary jazz collection from composers Ferdinando Argenti and Enrico Rosa. The piano and guitar solo performances are lively and creative. Another important aspect of this CD collection is that it uses the recorder, a fine compact instrument of intricate voice and tone that is turning up more frequently in jazz recordings.
There are 6 original jazz compositions in the collection. Each sparkles with life and style, each entertains! The songs are: "Sqwaqwaz," "Copenhagen," "Mondiale," "Three minutes blues," "Dubbio," and "Boston." Eva Rosa appears on alto recorder in "Mondiale" and "Boston."

For an enjoyable jazz outing, TO THE OLD FRIENDSHIP is well worth your listening time. The CD flyer lists the artist contacts as: www.enricorosa.com, www.interjazz.com/argenti, and www.rosae.dk.

A nice collection and highly enjoyable. Excellent.

Tracks: "Boston" is an outstanding jazz performance, one that showcases the talents of the three performers.

Record Label Website: http://www.interjazz.com/argenti

Artist's Website: http://www.enricorosa.com

Reviewed by: Lee Prosser

--------

Argenti & Rosa- To the old friendship

The two native Italians, Pianist Ferdinando Argenti and guitarist, Enrico Rosa found a very nice and funky opener for their collaboration with the unpronounceable tune Sqwaqwaz

Ferdinando Argenti was on tour for many years with greats like Chet Baker, Kenny Wheeler and Lee Konitz- Rosa has been treading on solo paths , his latest effort in 2002 called Passione and Musica.
The title tune to the old friendship stands not just for the friendship of the two musicians, but also to their ties to the two cities they live in: Copenhagen and Boston. Both are portrayed in a song. All songs - with the exception of the opener- are rather calm, carried by classical piano and guitar play and leave much room for improvisation.

To the old friendship is a classic(al)/jazz and very captivating Album, in which two masters of their craft and of their instruments show what they can do. Listening to it you get the sense that they inspired each other during the recording , to maximize their virtuosity. It is thrilling to follow along with this process and it turns this album to a veritable listening pleasure.

Copenhagen (2) is a thoughtful and diverse composition with an obvious romantically nostalgic feel to it
The 7-minute Three Minute Blues and Dubbio (4 & 5) are as excellently thought out and diverse as Copenhagen and are done in a similar style, though there are more bluesy and symphonic shades in the musical palette of these compositions. Both of the remaining pieces: Mondiale and Boston (and these are the longest tracks on the album) contain the parts of alto recorder, performed by Enrico's wife Eva, and are my absolute favorites.

Conclusion. "To the Old Friendship" presents the high-quality music performed by real dabs.

Pianist Ferdinando Argenti and guitarist Enrico Rosa are two Italian musicians who have a global and experimenting approach to jazz. The 6 tracks on the CD are all original compositions and on two of them Eva Rosa appears lyrically on treble recorder . It's music with great feeling and classical flavor , which makes you explore your soul and meditate , as well as carry you through sudden changes into a very energetic polyrhythmic music like in Dubbio and Sqwaqwaz which are both related to funk, jazz and blues.The musical interplay is a testimony of not only a friendship - built on more then 20 years- between the musicians , but also of a musical dialog which requires - as any other conversation - listening to each other , in order to move in the same direction.

"To The Old Friendship" is a jazz record, which consecrates the reunion of two friends : the guitarist Enrico Rosa and the pianist Ferdinando Argenti.
From the first notes of the album you appreciate the great skills of both masters. They have both and equally taken part in the composition of the album.
Accuracy and warmth are key words of the work. The pieces are perfectly linked and lead by both masters. The whole has a nice consistency, even though the themes tackled cover some of the numerous ramifications of jazz, like blues. There is also a little reference to progressive rock thanks to the participation of Eva Rosa who plays the alto recorder.

The two friends offer us a classic of the best taste. Nice as a good old friendship.

Session Expiration Warning

Session Expiration

We need to talk.

The web browser you're using to surf the web is so old it’s embarrassing. But hey, we hope you consider us a friend, the kind of friend you can count on to tell you when there's spinach stuck between your teeth. So here it goes: every time you surf the web with that antiquated web browser it’s like you have spinach in your teeth. Every time you get online, spinach!

Look, we don't want you to be the butt of any more jokes when the sites you visit don't load or function properly. So please - for your own sake - click on one of the links for your preferred browser below, and get that spinach out of your teeth for good.